


The Right Decision

by musikurt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-08
Updated: 2010-07-08
Packaged: 2017-11-03 03:51:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/376884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikurt/pseuds/musikurt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cho decides what to do about her situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Right Decision

If pressed, she probably would not admit her misery to anyone. And, to give him credit, she probably wasn't miserable - that really can be a strong word. But it went without saying that she certainly was not happy. There was no bliss in their relationship, no fire, no spark. And it would be false to claim that the spark had died, for it was likely that no such aspect ever existed as far as the two of them were concerned.

She had felt so alone at the time, but she never really knew why. It was not that Cedric had become someone with whom she was so madly in love; their relationship had barely started to grow. And although it was incredibly sad when he was taken from her and she wondered what could have been, his absence should not have left any sort of hole in her life that needed to be filled.

There was a kinship between Harry and her, though, in the year that followed. Harry had felt the loss, too, because he was there when it happened and he blamed himself for being partly responsible. No one would have ever thought to blame him, for he neither planned it or knew it would come to pass. The Dark Lord was going to hurt people and there was little that Harry could have done to foresee or stall it in any way.

But it was what they shared in terms of their emotions that brought them together. She had heard it said that 'misery loves company'. But what of the company when the misery fades? Or what does one do when the company serves only as a reminder of the miserable feelings one wishes to shed? They relied on each other and that reliance had served its purpose long ago, though neither of them had seemed to realize it at the time. And instead of parting ways and moving on with their lives, they continued, emotionally stunted in their convenient partnership.

As of late, Cho had been looking for a way out. She was grateful they did not have any children, because that would complicate any decision that she might feel inclined to make. It was not her desire to hurt anyone when she moved on, and knowing it was just Harry who would be affected made it easier. When she thought of "just Harry" it occurred to her that it might be a cold way of thinking - except that she was certain he felt the same way. She wouldn't be surprised if similar thoughts had been going through his mind, but he had hesitated out of deference to her and any feelings she might have. After all, when they started, she was very vulnerable and would have been impacted much differently if things had ended early. Now, having found her footing again years ago, it just seemed unfair to them both to continue the status quo.

Her friends wondered at what they saw as a sudden change in how she viewed the relationship. They suspected that Cho either worried about or caught Harry being unfaithful. One even suggested that maybe Cho had started a second relationship on the side. They had played the happy couple so well for so long, that it never occurred to the outside world that there could be any sort of problem or difficulty in the Potter household. If only that act had been enough to convince themselves as easily as they had been able to use it to convince others.

She glanced over at the suitcases she had carefully packed and set by the bedroom door. She knew that if she didn't ride the momentum she was feeling right now, it might be a while before mustered the energy, courage, and resolve to make her exit. She wouldn't be able to take everything she wished she could this evening, but she could not allow herself to get caught up on those material things. In time, she knew she would be able to gather everything and hopefully this whole process would be as amicable as she imagined it going in her head. Her usual cynicism would have made her think about all of the worst case scenarios, but this time - in her present situation - they were only the slightest afterthought.

She stood and scooped up her luggage as she exited the bedroom and started down the stairs. She stopped for a moment at the front door and looked back up toward the bedroom. For a brief fleeting moment, she thought about how much less of a risk it could be to just continue out the door and leave without any sort of discussion or confrontation. But that would not be fair to either of them to make it all so one sided. She placed the suitcases carefully behind the door and sat down in the armchair in the parlor.

Feelings she had not expected swept over her. As she looked at her surroundings - at the furnishings, the photographs hanging on the wall, the carpet they had selected together, and the moulding around the ceiling that she had initially despised but eventually had grown to love - she could not help considering all of the memories that had been shared in this home. Maybe she didn't feel an earth shattering love for her present companion, but maybe their friendship and their shared experience could be enough to keep them invested.

She quickly shook these thoughts from her mind. That was no way to be thinking. She had resolved to herself that she would not miss this window and she could not allow her doubts and her desire to find the silver lining in their life talk her back down from the decision she had made. Yes, no more thoughts of how she could make this work - now it was only of the future.

She was not certain how long she sat in the silence, but she started when she heard footsteps coming up the walk to the front door. Harry was home from his week-long business trip. He would probably be exhausted, but as she had been telling herself all day long: this was the best time, the RIGHT time, and she had to do that which she must...


End file.
